João Moutinho’s first competitive appearance of the new campaign arrived in late July, when Braga travelled to Serbia to face Zeležničar Pančevo in a UEFA Conference League qualifier. Even at 40, the veteran Portuguese midfielder shows no signs of slowing down; he continues to feature regularly and to perform at a high level.
He completed the full 90 minutes in the away leg of the tie against Dinamo Minsk in Bulgaria, then travelled to Austria to take part in the fixture against Austria Vienna, and a few days later he again played the entire match as Braga secured a Derby do Minho victory over Vitória de Guimarães. These consecutive full‑match displays underline his extraordinary stamina and commitment.
Moutinho will turn 40 on September 8th, and by that date he will already be nine games into yet another season. His most recent outing came on a Saturday against Alverca, a match Braga won, with Moutinho again on the pitch for the whole 90 minutes – as expected from a player of his calibre. He passed the 1,000‑appearance milestone back in 2024 and has now logged at least 25 appearances for Braga in 23 successive seasons.
Last campaign he featured in 56 games, marking the seventh time he has crossed the fifty‑match threshold in a single season – a testament to his durability and consistency. Moutinho is not only a supremely talented footballer – a European champion with Portugal, a league winner in France and a domestic champion in his native country – but also arguably Wolves’ greatest Premier League player after five seasons in England. Yet it is his capacity to extend his career well beyond the norm that has become his most striking attribute.
Braga is already the fifth club for which he has amassed a century of appearances, and he may soon become the fourth club where he reaches the 200‑match mark. How does he achieve such longevity? A clue emerged during a visit to the Wolves training ground years ago. While most of his teammates had left the facility, Moutinho was still there, taking an ice‑bath and receiving a massage.
When asked about his routine, he replied, “I enjoy playing more than training, so I make sure I stay fit to play.” He elaborated on his daily habits: “I do whatever is necessary to remain fit. I train properly, eat a balanced diet, stay hydrated with water and sports drinks, and rest when my body tells me to. I approach each training session as if it were my first day. These may seem like small details, but they add up.” For Moutinho, such practices are as natural as breathing.
In addition, he spends considerable time in the gym focusing on injury‑prevention work. “You have to believe in the process,” he says. “You can’t just go through the motions.
When you understand that these exercises protect your body, you’ll get that extra edge that helps you on the pitch.” Former coach Carlos Carvalhal, who first guided Moutinho at Sporting and later reunited with him at Braga 14 years later, is perhaps best placed to explain the midfielder’s endurance. “I can’t recall him ever suffering a serious injury,” Carvalhal told Sky Sports.
“He knows his body intimately and respects its limits.” Carvalhal also highlighted Moutinho’s footballing intelligence, describing it as an “internal GPS.” Even as a youngster, Moutinho acted as a conductor on the field, dictating tempo and positioning. “He started as an attacking midfielder, but at Braga we deployed him as a number six because he’s no longer a teenager.
Yet his understanding of the game remains flawless.” His technical touch is still immaculate, and his decision‑making remains razor‑sharp. While the Portuguese Primeira Liga may be less physically demanding than the Premier League’s relentless pace, Moutinho leverages his vast experience to navigate games intelligently, anticipating opponents’ moves and balancing defensive duties with creative distribution.
Carvalhal praised him as “unbelievable, fantastic,” noting that even last season Moutinho delivered another stellar campaign. The manager added that the midfielder’s minutes are now managed more carefully; he often appears as a Thursday‑night specialist for Braga. Although the reduced workload sometimes frustrates him – “I still get upset when the coach pulls me off after 75 minutes; I want to play the whole game” – it reflects a mutual desire to preserve his longevity.
Teammates have long recognised his competitive fire. Ruben Neves once described Moutinho as the most competitive person he had ever met. When asked about that comment at Wolves’ training ground, Moutinho replied, “Years ago I was even worse – I would isolate myself from my family after a defeat.” Moutinho’s mindset is crystal clear: “I hate losing, no matter the sport – football, tennis, even table tennis.
If I’m playing, I’m playing to win. If I’m not playing to win, I don’t want to be on the field. You need something that moves you, that inspires you.” He believes that a winning mentality fuels the spirit: “If you approach every day with that attitude, you’ll naturally find success on the weekend.” The question remains: how much longer will he continue?
His current contract expires at the end of the season, but that is the same situation he faced last year and the year before. “We don’t know when he’ll stop,” Carvalhal said with a smile.
“If he keeps performing at this level, age becomes irrelevant.” Carvalhal added, “It’s about performance and how you manage it. He handles it brilliantly.
Some players reach 40, but not at Moutinho’s level. He consistently plays at full intensity. If he repeats another season like the last one, I believe he’ll keep going.” Braga’s upcoming fixtures include a Thursday match against Estrela and a European campaign that resumes in Copenhagen next month, shortly after a clash with one of Moutinho’s former clubs, Sporting. History suggests he will be fit and ready, embodying something “unbelievable, something unique” for fans and teammates alike.